Online Privacy Tips: Keep Your Details Your Own
Join freeHold back your surname, address, workplace and number until you know someone well, use photos that aren't on your social media, check backgrounds for clues, and know who can see your profile.
What Natter already keeps private
Some of the work is done for you. Other members see your username, never your real name or email address. Your profile shows your nearest town or city, never your address or where you are at any given moment. Payments and personal data sit on PCI-compliant cloud hosting with SSL encryption.
Everything else depends on what you choose to share, which is what this page is about. None of it requires you to be secretive or cold. It's simply about letting people learn who you are before they learn where you are. Natter is an adults-only (18+) community, and good privacy habits are just part of being a grown-up online.
A username that gives nothing away
Your username is the first thing everyone sees, so make it fun rather than findable. Avoid your full name, your birth year, your town and your employer, and don't reuse a handle you already use on social media or a gaming account, because a quick search would join the dots.
Easy to like
- TeaAndTangents
- RainyDayReader
- OneMoreChapter
Easy to trace
- A first name and surname together
- A name plus a birth year
- The same handle you use everywhere else
Photos: the details hiding in the background
Use pictures that aren't on your social media
Anyone can run a photo through a reverse image search. If the same picture sits on a public social media profile, that search can lead straight to your real name, your friends and your workplace. Choose profile pictures you haven't posted elsewhere, or keep your social accounts private.
Check what's behind you
Before you upload, look past your own face. House numbers, street signs, a car's number plate, a work badge, the view from your front window and post on the kitchen table can all reveal more than you meant to. A plain wall or an outdoor shot somewhere generic gives nothing away.
Mind the data inside the file
Many phones save the place a photo was taken inside the picture file itself. Switching off location tagging in your camera settings before you take profile pictures is a simple habit worth getting into, for photos you share anywhere.
Our guide to photos and profiles covers choosing pictures that look like you; this is the privacy half of the same job.
What to leave off your profile and out of early chats
- Your surname
- A first name is friendly; a full name is searchable.
- Your address or street
- Your nearest town is plenty for anyone you haven't met.
- Your workplace
- Say what you do, not where. "I work in a hospital" is fine; the ward name isn't.
- Your number and email
- Keep them back until you know and trust someone, ideally until you're arranging to meet.
- Your other accounts
- Social media handles open up your whole life to one idle search. Share them much later, if at all.
Contact details: when, and whether, to share
There's no rush to swap numbers. Keeping the conversation on Natter means the blocking, reporting and warnings stay on your side, and Natter shows you a warning if someone tries to take the chat to another messaging app, because that's a favourite move of scammers. Our guide to spotting scams explains why.
When you do decide to share, a few habits help. Use a separate email address for sign-ups rather than your main one. Consider waiting to give out your number until you've arranged to meet. And remember that once a number or a social media handle is shared, you can't really take it back, so let it be a choice you make, not one you're hurried into.
Your routine is personal information too
It's not only names and numbers. Patterns give people a map: the gym class you never miss, the time you get off the train, the pub quiz you go to every Tuesday, the fact that you're home alone this weekend. None of that is a secret among friends, but it's worth keeping general with people you've only just met. "I like a quiz now and then" is lovely; "you'll find me at the Red Lion every Tuesday at eight" can wait.
Who can see your profile?
Natter is part of a network of sites, so your profile can be seen by Natter members and by members who joined through partner sites in the network, and you can see and message them too. It's a bigger pool of people to chat with, and it's another reason to treat your profile as public. The about page explains the network.
If you'd like more control over how visible you are, VIP and VIP+ include Incognito. The pricing page sets out what each plan includes.
Settings and devices: the easy wins
- Notifications: you can turn down or switch off promotional emails and message notifications in your settings, which helps if other people see your screen.
- Lock screen previews: your device's own settings decide whether message text shows on the lock screen. Hide previews if you'd rather keep chats private.
- Shared computers: log out when you've finished, and don't let the browser save your password.
- A password of its own: use one you don't use anywhere else, and never share it or a login code with anyone.
If something private gets out
If a photo or message of yours has been shared without your consent, report it on Natter straight away; the site acts quickly to take that kind of content down. Block the person responsible, keep a record of what happened, and talk to Natter's team, who answer by chat and messaging, day and night.
If anyone threatens to share something unless you pay, don't pay and don't negotiate. Stop replying, keep the evidence and report it to the police. Our page on online chat safety covers handling people who cross the line, and the main chat safety page lists every tool on your side.
Questions about privacy
What personal information should I not share online?
Keep your surname, home address, workplace, phone number, email address and social media accounts to yourself until you know and trust someone. Be careful with routines too, such as when you are usually home alone.
Can people find me from my profile photos?
They can if the same pictures appear on public social media, because a reverse image search can link them. Use photos you have not posted elsewhere and check the background for anything that shows where you live or work.
Who can see my Natter profile?
Natter members and members of the partner sites in its network. They see your username and nearest town or city, never your real name, email address or home address.
When should I give someone my phone number?
Only when you feel ready, and many people wait until they are arranging to meet. Keeping the chat on Natter until then keeps blocking, reporting and the off-site warning on your side.
What if someone threatens to share my photos?
Do not pay and do not keep talking to them. Keep the evidence, report them on Natter and to the police, and report any content they share so it can be taken down quickly.
Chat Freely, Share Wisely
Pick a username, keep your details your own, and enjoy getting to know people at your pace.
Join free